It may not elicit much sympathy elsewhere in the City, but partners at Britain’s top law firms are earning almost a quarter less than they were before the financial crisis despite a modest upturn in the legal market this year.

The average partner at Britain’s ten biggest legal practices made £951,000 last year — up almost 5 per cent, but still well short of the £1.25 million, adjusted for inflation, they made in 2008, according to PwC, the professional services firm.

Partners in the second-tier, those firms ranked 11th to 25th by size, have fared worse. Their average incomes have fallen